Burial-vault.



O. L. SHERWOOD.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED 001 .16, 1911.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS c0. FHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON D. Cv

IINITE @ATE% PATENT OFFIQIlG CHARLES L. SHERWOOD, OF LONDON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL METALLIC VAULT COMPANY, OF LONDON. OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BURIAL-VAULT.

Application filed October 16, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, CHARLES I). Sunnwoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at London, in the county of Madison and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial- Vaults, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to burial vaults and contemplates improvements in vaults of this type wherein the base and top portions are normally held in locked position, especially when in their position in a grave, but which may be again separated from each other under certain conditions and circumstances.

The main object of my invention, therefore, resides in the provision of a plurality of locking members for locking the top and base of the vault together and rods normally holding the locking members in operative position to lock the base and top together, these rodsbeing accessible and adapted to be withdrawn to release the top from its base when the top is in its locked position.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision of detachable keepers carried by the vault in such position that they look the base and top together, but which keepers are detachable from the vault when the top is in its locked position to facilitate its removal from the base.

Other objects reside in the peculiar structure adopted which are shown in the accompanying drawings representing one form of my invention.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved burial case or vault, a portion of one side thereof being broken away for clearness in illustration, Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of one of the base or bottom plate lock members, Fig. 3 is a similar view of one of the easing lock members, and, Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of one of the guide brackets which are employed in connection with the base or bottom plate.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention, I provide an oblong base plate 1 of metal, upon which is mounted at suitable intervals transverse casket supporting members 2. The base plate also has secured thereto, adjacent to its edges, a suitable number of bifurcated Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented net. as, rare.

Serial No. 654,855.

blocks or brackets 3, in each of which is supported the lower end of an upwardly extending locking tongue 4;, the latter having its upper end portion in the form of an outwardly and downwardly projecting hook as indicated at 4 All of the locking tongues l which are adjacent to the corresponding longitudinal edge portion of the plate 1, are pierced by a single horizontally disposed rod 5, this rod passing loosely through openings in the bases of the tongue 1 and in the blocks or brackets 3. I also provide the upper side of the base plate 1 adjacent to its side and end edges with fixed upright guide tongues 6, each of these guide tongues having its outer and inner edge portions beveled toward the upper end of the guide.

7 represents the casing or body portion of my improved burial vault which is in the nature of an elongated box or case having its lower side open. At suitable intervals on the inner walls of this case adjacent to the bottom thereof, are fixed bearing brackets 8' in each of which is pivoted the lower end of an upwardly extending locking finger or bar 9. To the rear side of each of these locking fingers, is rigidly connected the lower end portion of an inwardly inclined and upwardly extended spring strip 10, the upper vertical portions of these strips being movably retained by keepers 11 which are secured to the inner walls of the case 7. As shown in the drawing, the springs 10 tend to normally keep the looking bars 9 inclined slightly outward from the wall of the case. As indicated in the drawing, the pivot rods 5 are of slightly greater length than the casing 7, so that in setting said case over the base plate 1, it is necessary to provide short vertical slotted openings 12 in each end of the casing for the reception of the rod ends.

The casket being supported upon the memhere 2 of the base 1, the casing is locked into connection with said base by lowering the casing down about the casket, during which operation the contact of the inclined hook members a of the locking. members 4 with the outer faces of the spring actuated looking bars 9, results in pressing said locking bars 9 toward the walls of the case until the case has been sufliciently lowered to permit the upper ends of the bars 9 moving outward and into engagement with the undersides of the hook terminations 4 This engagement of the bars 9 and locking members 4, as will be readily understood, will serve to prevent any possibility of the ease and its base plate being separated one from the other without the removal of the rods 5 and it is obvious that said rods 5 may only be removed after the vault has been lowered into a grave, by producing lengthwise excavations from the grave or by withdrawing the rods longitudinally as far as the length of the grave will permit, cutting off the out wardly extending portions and repeating the operation until said rods are entirely out of engagement with all of the members 3. This being accomplished, it is obvious that the case may be readily lifted from the base plate. It will readily be understood, however, that the removal of the rods in the manner specified, can only be accomplished by the loss of considerable time and labor, and it will therefore be seen that the looking means which I have described will under ordinary circumstances, afford desirable protection to the casket, while at the same time should it become necessary to open the vault, such an operation may be accomplished. In lowering the casing downward upon the marginal portion of the base plate, it will be understood that the base projections 6, which taper toward their upper ends, will serve by contact with the inner wall surfaces of the casing to guide said casing to its proper position upon the base plate.

It will be understood that the construction of the parts of my improved vault, is comparatively simple and inexpensive and that the various members thereof may be subjected to a desirable change of outline from that shown in the drawing and suitably ornamented.

lVhat I claim, is:

1. In combination with a top for a burial vault, a base, locking members for locking said top and said base together, and movable rods normally holding said locking members in operative position to lock said base and top together, said rods being accessible and adapted to be withdrawn when said top is in its locked position on said base to release said top from its base bv release of said locking members.

2. The combination with a top for aburial vault, a base, keepers for locking said base and said top together and an element externally accessible for releasing said keepers to subsequently release said top from said base, said release being effected by removing said element from the vault after the top is in its locked position.

3. In combination with a top for a burial vault, a base, and detachable keepers carried by the vault for locking said base to said top, said keepers being detachable from the vault when the said top is in its locked position to facilitate removal of the top from the base.

4. In combination with a top for a burial vault, locking bars on said top, a base, and detachable keepers on said ,base, said keepers being detachable when said top is in its locked position.

5. In combination with a top for a burial vault, locking bars on said top, a base, keepers, and a removable element normally connecting said keepers to said base, said element being removable to permit removal of said top after said top is in its locked position.

In combination with a top for a burial vault, a base, locking bars, keepers for co action with said locking bars, and a. longitudinally releasable rod normally locking said keepers to said vault, said rod being removable after said top is in locked position on said base.

7. In a burial vault, the combination with a base plate, brackets projecting therefrom, and upright locking hooks detachably connected to said brackets, of a case having an open underside, spring actuated locking bars normally inclined from the inner walls of said case and adapted, when the case is lowered downward onto the base, to spring into engagement with said opposing locking hooks.

S. In a burial vault, the combination with a base plate, brackets mounted at intervals on said base plate, an upright locking hook for each of said brackets, and a removable rod connecting the bases of said hooks with said brackets, of a case having an open underside, and spring actuated locking bars secured to the inner walls thereof, said locking bars adapted, when said case is lowered on to the base, to engage the locking hooks of the base, said case having openings in its ends through which said locking hook connecting rods extend.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. SHERIVOOD. lVitnesses:

WALTER E. L. Boon, A. L. PHELPS.

Copies of this-patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

